Institute for Excellence in Writing

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After three months of studying writing with Andrew Pudewa of the Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW), my children and I have decided this curriculum rocks. We decided this after three weeks, but I wanted to wait a few more months to blog about it. We got Level 1B, which is for grades 6-8. Since my daughter is in sixth grade and my son in eighth, it is perfect for us.

Puzzle

My daughter building puzzles – a metaphor for learning writing

You should know that Andrew Pudewa used to teach Suzuki violin. If you know anything about the Suzuki method, you know that it teaches step by step, in a very systematic way. Pudewa took the Suzuki method and applied it to IEW. This incremental approach to writing helps children and teens understand how to write. There will be no expectations beyond their ability. Continue reading »



Writing with Ease Review

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Writing with Ease is a writing curriculum for grades 1-4. You can use it with great flexibility. If your child is still learning how to form letters in first grade, you can start Writing with Ease in second grade.

Writing with Ease, level 1

Writing with Ease, level 1

You can get all four volumes, but even the curriculum author will tell you the fourth volume is not necessary. By the time you have gone through the first three volumes, your child will be ready for the Logic Stage. As such, you can move into Writing with Skill. I will cover Writing with Skill in a different post. Continue reading »


Monosyllabic Answers vs. Full Sentences

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For my son’s yearly checkup, we took him to the pediatrician who has seen him since he was one day old. It’s one hour away from home, but it’s worth it. We make a day of it, or half a day of it. Everything looked great and the doctor especially remarked how well-spoken my son was.

Writing With Ease

This pediatrician sees a lot of kids these days who answer his questions with one syllable: yeah, no, uh, err… My son answers in long sentences, four or five of them, and gives many details. Sometimes I think too many. We have to stop him gently and let other people continue the conversation. Continue reading »